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BIBLICAL, CRITICISM.
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J * n . 16 , 1817-0 n the ** sin unto death" spoken of by * the Apostle John . 1 John v . 16 , 17-«* \ V W > y man see his brother sin a JL sio , which is not unto death , be shall ask , and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death . There is a sin unto death : 1 do not say that he shall pray for it . All unrighteousness is sin : and there is a sin not unjto death . " I shall examine , severally , three interpretations of this passage ; and shall then propose one which I consider as less fairly liable to objection .
. I . The first of those which are now tcy . be canvassed , is stated at large by t > r . Benson , who paraphrases the verses in the following manner : ' * -s—if a Christian , by an impulse of the spirit , perceives that any Christian brother has sinned such a sin as to draw < Jown upon himself a disease , tttbich is not to end in death ; but to be miraculously cured by him : then let Mm pray to God ; and God , in answer to . his prayer , will grant life
and perfect health , unto such Christians as have sinned a sin which is not unto death . There is a sin , which draws down a disease upon Christians , that is to end in death . I do not say that he , who has the power of working miracles , shall pray for that : because , in such a case , God would not hear his prayer ^ not miraculously cure his Christian brother , at his request . " In a dissertation on the passage , this writer observes that " as God had treated his ancient people , the Israelites , in a most remarkable and distinguishing manner , under the law , so did he . treat the Christians , the
subjects of the Messiah's kingdom , at the first erecting this spiritual kingdona ;— - —punishing some of the more irregular , and ( perhaps ) otherwise incorrigible offenders , with some re-U > ar table disorders , or even with death itselCy * ? * . " A sin , " he . wjdsv * which brought on a disease , t | lp $ * aaed in death , was called a sin uuto death . And those crimes among jfee Jews , which brought oti diseases , 1 & 4 & : TOece afterwards cured , might 3 > SFetfce « n properly called ^ w not unto
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death ; as those that were : mortal , might as properly hate been called sins unfo death" » Dr . Benson says , * ** a sin not undo death cauia not be known , any other way , than by a divine impulse , " or immediate Tevelation . For , withovit that , it wj »
impossible to know certainly tha ^ they should be able , by praying " miraculously to cure their Christian ; brother of his malady /* And , fur ther > . ^ * "When any Christian thas l ^ ie ^ r that his Christian brother had sinned
a sin not unto death , he was to p ra ^ f for his recovery ; and immediately God would grant hi in life and perfec t health unto that offending , but sincerely penitent , Christian . But , witrjL out such a prophetic " iinpujse , they were , by no means , to ptay for him , in order to cure him by miracle *" Again , ( and here X agree wit £ i this author ) : ic
The sin unto death was not 00 , 3 particular crime ; but any bad- habit , or any act of great wickedness . " M y objections to Dr . fienspn ' s exposition , are that it receives no cpuntenance from the apostle ' s subject and context y that it creates difficulties instead of removing them ; that itajiT sumes a fact the existence of vvj > ich
requires proof ; and that far frqi « being sanctioned , it is even opposed by Scrij > tural phraseology . ' In the two preceding verses , John had spoken generally of the readiness of God to grant the petitions offered by Christians in conformity -with ^ ft will . It sViould be rexnemWred , tpp >
that not a word is said , in any fbr rn ^ or subsequent part of the treatise * respecting bodily diseases . The grarjd topic of the writer is purity of faitrw both speculative and practical—in tps gospel . All expositors admit tha $ r t $ | ft eighteenth verse has this reference Wh y then should it be imagined that , in the passage before us , there is < a
sudden transition to anothqr and v ^ ry different thetiie ? ^ ,- » y There is a considerate opposition to the apostle ' s language in Dr . Bp fak son ' s paraphrase and reasoning : ** i £ a r oan , " says John , « ' see ( iftj ) h ^ p brother sin a sin which is not un 4 /»
Biblical, Criticism.
BIBLICAL , CRITICISM .
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( * fi * J .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1817, page 104, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2461/page/40/
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